The present invention relates to a method for preparing a casing material for use in co-extruding food products. The present invention further relates to a method and a system for preparing food products by means of co-extrusion wherein such casing material is used.
In the preparation of food products by means of co-extrusion, and more specific in the production of sausages, a strand of food dough is extruded together with the extrusion of an external layer of viscous gelling solution. The viscous gelling solution that, as a result, at least partially encloses the strand of food dough is subsequently treated (hardened) to form the casing of the food product (sausage). For the casing material, use may be made of various viscous gelling solutions, which dependent on the product to be produced, are ordered from a specialised producer of such gelling solutions. After the supply of the ordered viscous gelling solutions the viscous gelling solutions has to be used within a set period.
The problem to be solved is to improve the efficiency and/or the effectiveness of the usage of gelling solutions in the co-extrusion process of food products while maintaining the prior art advantages of the co-extrusion of food products.